3 October 2012 - Security Council - Haiti - Statement by Mr Gérard Araud, Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations

At theoutset, allow me to congratulate your country onassuming the presidency of the Council. I thank theSpecial Representative of the Secretary-General forHaiti, Mr. Mariano Fernández Amunátegui, for hisbriefing.

I would like to associate myself with the statementto be made later by the observer of the European Union,as well as that to be delivered by the representative ofUruguay on behalf of the Group of Friends.Since our last meeting in March (see S/PV.6732),undeniable progress has been made in Haiti, on thepolitical and institutional fronts first and foremost.I will not list the measures taken by the HaitianGovernment, as others before me have already done so.The political and institutional stability of the countryhas been strengthened.

With regard to security, the Secretary-General hasrecalled that the situation is calm but precarious. Crimeremains a problem, particularly in Port-au-Prince, butno more so than it is in other countries of the region.The Haitian National Police has demonstrated itsability to undertake comprehensive operations with thesupport of the United Nations Stabilization Mission inHaiti (MINUSTAH).

With regard to the humanitarian issues andreconstruction, the decrease in the number of internallydisplaced persons, the clearing up of the earthquakedamage and the progress with regard to health andeducation should be noted. After a downturn in thegross national product, Haiti has once again found thepath towards growth. However, the country continuesto face humanitarian challenges, with 390,000 peopleliving in refugee camps and a cholera epidemic that hasnot yet been stemmed.

Allow me to mention three of the challengesthat remain. The swift holding of local and partiallegislative elections is essential, as those electionshave been delayed for too long, as Mr. FernándezAmunátegui noted. To that end, a Permanent ElectoralCouncil, based on consensus and in line with the spiritof the Constitution, must be established. We call uponall the political stakeholders concerned in Haiti to worktowards that objective. France stands ready to provideits support, in particular through MINUSTAH, for theholding of free, credible and transparent elections.The Haitian National Police is not yet able toindependently guarantee security and stability inHaiti. We noted the objectives presented by the Haitianauthorities for the period 2012 to 2016, including thegoal of increasing the number of police officers from10,000 to 15,000. We stand ready to back those efforts,which must not only be quantitative, but which must alsostrengthen the administrative and training capacities,as well as the integrity and the image of the police. TheState’s budget must ref lect that priority.

Aid for rebuilding must continue. The eradicationof cholera deserves an appropriate response. Francestands ready to uphold its financial commitmentsmade by the President of the Republic, which amountto €326 million. We welcome the new framework foraid coordination that was announced by Prime MinisterLamothe last week in New York. Haiti cannot dependon international solidarity alone for its development,which is why we support President Martelly’s efforts tomake Haiti more attractive to foreign investors.

The situation is changing and it is only naturalthat the United Nations presence on the ground doesthe same. We stand ready to extend MINUSTAH’smandate. We must continue the drawdown of trooplevels, because the levels present today are no longer inline with the needs of the country two and a half yearsafter the earthquake. The priority, more than ever,should be national ownership through the strengtheningof the rule of law and the principal tools, such as theHaitian National Police and the judiciary.We must also provide the Mission with a credibletime frame. We are not abandoning Haiti, but we mustbe clear to Haitians with regard to what is achievable ina reasonable period.

We therefore support the current discussionsbetween the Mission and the Secretariat on a five-yearconsolidation plan.

I would like to end by commending the work ofthe police, troops and civilians of MINUSTAH, whohave been contributing to the maintenance of stabilityin Haiti for eight years. I would also like to thank theSpecial Representative of the Secretary-General for hiswork at the Head of the Mission and his vision of whatmust be achieved in Haiti.